Both Barrels April 2025 - Taranaki

While the autumn rains have finally arrived, it’s still pretty dry out there with few areas of casual water around to attract ducks. Mallards therefore remain largely centred on the rivers, streams and permanent water ponds where they’ve been hanging out all summer and these areas will be great places to hunt on opening weekend.

As water returns to ponds and wetlands that have been dry or at a low ebb over summer, and puddles develop in low points in paddocks, mallards and paradise shelduck will congregate in these areas to feed on worms and bugs. The use of layout blinds and a few well-placed decoys will be the way to go here.

Later in the season, mallards will also be seen in pugged up paddocks behind the cows and they’ll be flying to a local oxy pond or stream to rest up, providing a good opportunity for a morning or evening hunt.

This year, near record numbers of paradise shelduck were counted at moult sites around the Taranaki ringplain and Taranaki Fish & Game has increased the daily bag limit for paradise from 10 birds to 15 in Game Management Area C for opening  weekend only. The usual 10-bird limit applies for the rest of season.

While most maize crops have been harvested early this year because of the dry, paradise ducks are still being drawn to areas of maize stubble or new sown grass, and this will continue once there is some shallow standing water present.

Trend counts indicate that there are plenty of black swan available and they should be a good bonus bird for hunters on the coastal dune lakes. Pukeko numbers have held steady and reasonable numbers of pheasant are present in coastal sand country and inland hill country areas.

For information on permits to hunt pheasant in Harakeke Forest south of Whanganui, Nukumaru Recreation Reserve and Tauwhare Forest please contact Taranaki Fish & Game’s Whanganui office on 0212700239.

For further information on gamebird hunting visit https://www.fishandgame.org.nz/game-bird-hunting-in-new-zealand

Regulation changes

As stated earlier, the daily bag limit for paradise shelduck has been raised from 10 birds to 15 in Game Management Area C for opening  weekend only, with the usual 10-bird limit applying for the rest of the season. Area C includes the Taranaki province north of the Waitotara River and all of Stratford District, but the best hunting for paradise will undoubtedly be around the Taranaki ringplain.

With the way the dates fall this year, the extended season for pukeko and upland game runs for an extra week through to Sunday 31^st  August, giving hunters more time to get out amongst it.

TARANAKI FISH AND GAME REGION

1  Game That May be Hunted or Killed—Duration of 2025/2026 Season

Species	Season Duration (dates inclusive)	Daily Bag Limit	Hunting area
Grey/mallard duck	3 May to 29 June 2025	10	All areas
NZ shoveler duck	3 May to 29 June 2025	2	All areas
Paradise shelduck	3 May to 4 May 2025	15	Area C
	3 May to 4 May 2025	10	Areas A&B
	5 May to 29 June 2025	10	All areas
Black swan	3 May to 29 June 2025	2	All areas
Pūkeko	3 May to 31 August 2025	5	Area A&B
	3 May to 31 August 2025	10	Area C
California quail	3 May to 31 August 2025	5	All areas
Cock pheasant	3 May to 31 August 2025	2	All areas
Bobwhite (Virginian) quail	3 May to 31 August 2025	5	All areas
Red legged partridg	3 May to 31 August 2025	2	All areas

Land occupier licencing rules

At this time of year, we often receive calls asking about the land occupier hunting rules.

The rules around land occupier rights to hunt without a game licence are: the land occupier, their spouse or partner and one son or daughter (total 3 people) can shoot on the property they occupy without a game bird licence. The land occupier must live on the property that they are wanting to shoot. All three individuals with occupier rights can shoot at the same time or individually and they must comply with all other regulations, including bag limits, use of non-toxic shot etc.

If the landowner and (say) a share milker both live on the property and they both want to shoot, then one of them will need to buy a game licence. Whomever is the occupier must remain so for the whole of the season and they can’t swap around until the next season. If the landowner lives in town and the sharemilker lives on the property, then the landowner needs a licence, as the sharemilker is the land occupier.

Where a person resides on land that is farmed in conjunction with any other land, they are deemed to reside on that other land also (i.e. the occupier is also deemed to occupy a runoff farmed in conjunction with the home farm).

If there is still some confusion around the rules, or if you want to know more, the Fish and Game website has a great Hunting Licence FAQ list. Click on this link to find more information: https://fishandgame.org.nz/about/fish-and-game-faq/hunting-licences-faq/

Rules governing the safe transport of firearms

All firearms licence holders must meet updated requirements for the safe and secure storage and transportation of firearms and ammunition that came into force in February 2022. The “Firearms Secure Storage Guidance” document available for download on the Firearms Safety Authority website https://www.firearmssafetyauthority.govt.nz/firearms-safety/storage-transportation provides a good explanation of the requirements for safe transportation.

Firearms Safety

It is also well worthwhile reviewing the seven firearm safety rules and downloading and reading the firearms safety code before heading out on opening weekend.

https://www.firearmssafetyauthority.govt.nz/firearms-safety/7-safety-rules

https://www.firearmssafetyauthority.govt.nz/firearms-safety/hunter-safety

Hunting Code of Practice

Game bird hunting is a treasured pastime for many New Zealanders. The ongoing enjoyment of this natural resource relies on the use of sustainable hunting methods, positive behaviour and ethical harvest, which allows us to safeguard the future of hunting for all New Zealanders. Fish & Game actively promotes ethical hunting practices and as gamebird hunters we have a responsibility to support these practices. Fish & Game has developed a Code of Practice grouping key ideas under four responsibilities, to show the expected standard of behaviour for license holders.

1. Hunt Humanely

• Shoot only within the effective range of our firearm and your own capabilities, and only when a quick, clean kill is likely
• Promptly retrieve all birds shot and humanely dispatch wounded birds
• Respect the resource and eat what you shoot

2. Protect Game Bird Resources and our Hunting Traditions

• Understand and abide by all hunting regulations and licencing requirements
• Support gamebird management and habitat enhancement activities
• Take only what you need
• Share knowledge, ethical attitudes and behaviour with companions and younger generations

3. Care for the environment

• Take all rubbish with you and dispose of offal and carcasses appropriately
• Use non-toxic shot and biodegradable products
• Use established tracks and never shoot from or across formed public roads

4. Respect the rights of others

• Never access, shoot onto or across private property without permission
• Be considerate of others, both hunters and non-hunters
• Be aware of your safety and the safety of others when hunting
• Comply with the Arms Act 1983 and always practice positive firearm use through the 7 Firearm Safety Rules.

Cook what you harvest!

Game birds are wholesome, lean, free-range food that is far too good to waste. For some tips on cooking game birds go to https://fishandgame.org.nz/game-bird-hunting-in-new-zealand/hunting-resources/prep-and-cook-game-birds/cooking/

Fish & Game Rangers

Rangers will be out checking on compliance, so please carry your game licence with you to ensure as little disruption to your hunting as possible. If hunting waterfowl near open water, make sure you don’t have any lead shot in your possession. If hunting parries in paddocks later in the day with lead, lock your lead ammo in your vehicle away from the maimai.

 All the best for a safe and successful season from the Team at Taranaki Fish & Game